


Protector of the Young

by BeesFrightenMes



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Drabble, Drama, Feelings, Fluff, Gen, Heritage Hill, Sad, Very Slight Spoilers, no beta we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-23
Updated: 2020-05-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24328924
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeesFrightenMes/pseuds/BeesFrightenMes
Summary: Little ones may be among the least of us, but they can inspire the greatest love in those who lead the rest of us.In other words: There is nothing the Watcher will not do for a child.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11





	Protector of the Young

“There is a _child_ in there, Edér. By the Gods, I am _not_ leaving her behind, not for anything.” Passion. Fury. Righteous indignation. Hiravias didn’t usually have the pleasure of listening to the Watcher chew out the fighter, but today was a rarity.

Heritage Hill was, unequivocally, a godsforsaken wasteland. Undead lurked around every corner, lying in wait for some unsuspecting fool to stumble into the slaughter. Hunger wafted off of them in sickening waves that made his nose wrinkle and the delicate hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.

And he agreed with Delia. Such an area was no place for a child, a little girl whose only family had tried to eat her.

“Saeda? Saeda, are you in here?” The Watcher led them into the mausoleum slowly, her eyes scanning the walls and floor. “It’s okay, sweetheart, you can come out now. You’re safe, I promise.”

A little voice, from somewhere they couldn’t see, rang out in a trembling, high pitched timbre. “Wh-who are you? How do I know… How do I know you aren’t a monster?”

Hiravias glanced warily at Delia, and he swore he could _see_ the gears turning in her head. After a moment of thought, she bent her head, slid off her helmet, and pushed it into Kana’s hands. “Hold that for me, will you?”

“But of course,” the aumaua replied, confused. None of them knew her plan, but all they could was go along with it. As they always did.

Slowly, the human woman knelt down and put down her weapons. She stayed kneeling and, in the gentlest, kindest tone any of the men had ever heard her produce, she began to speak. “My name is Delia,” she started, brown eyes so light they were verging on honey and honest as ever. “I’m from a little town in a land far, far away from here.”

“ _...Is she…?_ ” Aloth mouthed at Edér, who just shrugged and took out his pipe.

“I like baths, and reading, and baking. I hate spiders, can’t stand them. My favorite color is pink. My favorite food?” She paused for a moment, thinking. “Well, those cookies with the chocolate in the middle…?”

“Darkest Rauatai cookies,” Kana supplied proudly.

“Yup, those are the ones. And chocolate cake, with whipped cream and fresh strawberries on top. I like flowers, and kittens, and…” Her voice trailed off hopefully.

The girl crawled out from around the corner of a coffin, her little body so pale and thin. Hiravias’s heart hurt when he noticed the ridges of her ribcage through her threadbare dress. Her hair was probably brown once, but it was difficult to tell under all the dust and dirt. Saeda’s eyes were ringed with dark circles.

“My favorite food is prolly those cookies too,” she said quietly, her gaze not leaving Delia’s.

“Right? I love chocolate.” Delia’s face lit up in a huge smile, like she had been waiting for Saeda to grace her with her presence for her entire life.

“...Did you find my mommy and daddy?”

The Watcher’s smile faltered for a moment.

“I… I heard them talking to me, ‘fore I ran away,” Saeda whispered. “But they… they didn’t sound right.” She looked up at the woman in front of her. “Are they okay?”

Delia swallowed hard, bowing her head with her eyes closed. “Saeda, I need you to listen to me.” She opened her eyes and looked straight into Saeda’s. “Can you make it to the gate by yourself?”

She nodded.

“You must run as fast as you can, okay sweetheart? Tell the guards that De--” Her eyes darkened. “Tell the guards that the Watcher sent you.”

Saeda nodded again. She waited a beat, then ran up to Delia and wrapped her arms around her in a hug. After a couple moments, the little girl let go of her and broke into a run out of the mausoleum and towards the front gate. 

Like a ghost, the Watcher rose up off of the ground and reclaimed her helmet from Kana. Pushing her blonde hair back, she slid it on, her eyes still that eerie dark shade that reminded Hiravias of raw coffee.

“Once we find whoever’s responsible for this,” she uttered lowly. “I’m going to fucking _slaughter_ them.”


End file.
